Dear !*TITLE*! !*LASTNAME*!,
We had our last event before the summer break last week Thursday, a luncheon meeting with Wartsila, read the report below.
Two traditional events in the autumn season have been confirmed. The 5th FCCJ Yakatabune Cruise will be on Friday, 29 August and the 12th Mercedes-Benz Japan Cup on Friday, 10 October. More about these events below.
Between those we will at least have a Luncheon Meeting latter part of September, as soon as the date and theme/speaker have been confirmed, we will inform.
The FCCJ Office will also take a short summer break and will be closed from Friday, 27 June to Wednesday, 9 July. I will read my emails pretty regularily so I will be able to confirm registrations and respond to questions that cannot wait until 9th July...
Before packing his bags for his summer vacation, our columnist Timo Varhama has prepared a new issue of "Aoyama View". This time the title is: Soccer shows New Japan, Olympics old men business.
Click banner for a great update on World Cup, Olympics, and some polictics!

Report from the Luncheon Meeting with Ad Bertens, Wartsila Japan
At our luncheon meeting on Thursday, 19 June we had Mr. Ad Bertens, Vice President, Services, Wartsila Japan Ltd. and Director, Services Unit East Asia (Japan, Korea, Taiwan), as our speaker. The theme of his presentation was "LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) - A Game Changer for Japan and the World".
Mr. Bertens started his presentation by showing a video of the history of Wartsila. Then he explained about the role and benefits of LNG in the global energy market and Wartsila's role in the LNG business - as provider of engines for LNG carriers and stationary LNG engines for local energy generation. As an example Mr. Bertens pointed out that there are more than 20 Wartsila LNG engines running in the Tokyo area only.
For more about the event, held at the Oak Room at Hotel Okura and attended by 26 members and guests, click link at right.

Friday, 29 August - FCCJ Yakatabune Event
Finnair AY4159 - Honka HJ4169 Code Share Cruise
Based on the success of last four year's cruises we have again decided to start off the FCCJ Autumn season in style and with some great fun, please join us for the Finnair AY4159 - Finn Tour FT4120 Code Share Yakatabune Cruise on Friday, 29 August.
We have chartered our own Yakatabune boat. It starts at Asakusa touring down Sumida River to Odaiba and back in 2.5 hours. During the cruise you could enjoy a great Japanese tempura-sashimi dinner and drinks in the "all-you-can-eat & drink" style.

Date & Time:

Friday, 29 August , 18.30-21:00

Embarkation:

Funayado Miuraya, 1-1-10, Asakusabashi, Taito-ku
, Tokyo

Cost:

9,000 yen for members, non-members 11,000 yen

Registration:

by Monday, 25 August

We expect the event to be sold out this year as well, so please sign up soon to secure your seats!
For more information and registration form for the event, click link at right.

Friday, 10 October - The North-America - Europe Golf Challenge in Japan Mercedes-Benz Japan Cup 2014 - Registration Open!
We are pleased to announce that the 12th North America - Europe Golf Challenge in Japan, the Mercedes-Benz Japan Cup 2014, will be played on Friday, 10 October, at the same venue as in previous years, the Atsugi Kokusai Country Club in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The organizing task-force is working hard to make this event as successful as previous years' events. New this year is that although we play at the same club, we will now use half of the East Course (first 9 holes-same as before) and then half of the West Course (second 9 holes) as the East Course last nine 9 holes are under construction.
Also this year we will have an After-Party, free for all players with their significant other at the Mercedes-Benz Connection in Nogizaka (close to Tokyo Midtown) on the week after the event.
Registration
The participation fees are a 3,000 yen non-refundable registration fee and a 21,700 yen fee (paid to the club) for the play, caddie, lunch and party and a lot of great prizes, for a total of 24,700 yen. Note that bus transportation is free for the 40 first to sign-up for it.
Sponsoring the event
If you want to promote your company through this event, and its web site, please sign up as a sponsor.
Your contribution could be either money or goods/services. Sponsorship starts from 40,000 yen (100,000 yen in goods services).
To sign-up as player and/or sponsor, please click link at right.

News from FinlandStora Enso acquires US biotech firm
Biotechnology firm Virdia is the latest company to flesh out the holdings of forestry giant Stora Enso. On Monday, the Finnish papermaker announced the purchase of the US firm in a 24 million euro deal. According to its new owner, Virdia is a leading developer of extraction and separation technologies for converting cellulose biomass into highly refined sugars and lignin.
On top of the purchase price, a possible additional payment of 21 million euros is in the offing if commercial and technical targets are met.
"This acquisition is in line with our strategy of growing in bio-based chemicals, ingredients and solutions, building on cost-effective, non-food-competing raw materials," said Stora Enso's Executive Vice President Juan Carlos Bueno in a press release.
Stora Enso claims that this investment in a new technology platform will enable it to profitably reach new industries and value chains. However, the company also stated that the impact of the acquisition on sales and earnings is expected to be limited this year.

If you have any comments, rumors, gossip or inside information, send it to: fccj@gol.com

ABOUT THIS BULLETIN
This bulletin is
published by the Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (FCCJ) and
distributed to over 650 recipients among its members and related
organizations. FCCJ was established in April 1999 to promote trade and
economic exchange between Japan and Finland and has today 64 corporate
members, 12 individual and one special member.